The Society of Jesus, the order known as the Jesuits, will shortly convene its 36th general congregation. This gathering in Rome will bring together some 215 members of the 16,000-strong order, who will be charged with the task not only of electing a new Father General, but also of reflecting on the role and mission of the Jesuits in the contemporary world.
The Society was founded by a Spaniard from the Basque country, St Ignatius of Loyola, and for much of its history it has been predominantly Spanish. In the 20th century, the American provinces came to the fore, thanks, in large part, to the many prestigious universities that the Society founded in the United States. More recently, the centre of gravity has shifted again. As vocations have declined in America and Western Europe, they have soared in India and Vietnam, and it is now possible, even likely, that the next Father General will be from Asia.
